Legacy of Steele
by LJLanham
Summary: Written a while ago as a sort of reunion movie... it's the story that created the Kate character from Mother of Steele. I have a few stories in the "Legacy" Universe. Not my favorite, but I submit it for your perusal. Feedback encouraged, please RR.
1. Chapter 1

Legacy of Steele

Malibu CA, May 2008

Remington Steele stood cooking breakfast and watching his wife talk on the telephone. She was pacing in front of the floor to ceiling picture window that separated their kitchen from the Malibu shoreline.

"Okay Honey," Laura said into the phone. "We'll see you in a few days… I love you, too." She smiled as she set the cordless phone back into its cradle on the marble countertop.

"Kate?" her husband asked.

Laura nodded. "She just wanted to make sure we're going to be there on time," she answered, pouring them each a cup of coffee. "And she's Kat now, remember?"

"Kat," he said, shaking his head. "Funny, I though we named her Katharine."

"We did. With an 'a' like Hepburn," Laura replied, smiling. "It's just a phase she's going through, don't worry. Can you believe she's graduating?" Laura was beaming with pride.

"No," was his succinct reply. He turned off the stove and cut an omelet in half, dividing it onto two plates.

"And coming to work with us at the agency?" Laura continued.

"Laura," Remington practically scolded, "We've talked about this. She's too young. She's barely nineteen."

"Sweetheart," she soothed. "She's been with us the past two summers, and she's and excellent criminologist. Besides, you didn't have a problem when Danny joined the agency. He was only eighteen, just started at USC."

"But that was different, Laura," he said as he carried the plates over to the table.

"Why --- because she's a girl?"

"No," he answered. "Because she's our daughter. Our only child."

"And she's brilliant. Rem, be reasonable."

"I was reasonable when she graduated high school early. I was reasonable when you sent her off to Stanford at sixteen…"

Tears brimmed Laura's eyes as she listened to her husband. He had become such a great father.

"…But Laura, it's bad enough that I've had to watch you put your life on the line for these last twenty five years. I'm not ready to put my little girl in that position." He turned to stare out at the Pacific. The view that he loved was one of the main reasons he and Laura bought the house. He remembered the day he first brought her to see it. It was in early summer 1988, they had just celebrated their second anniversary and the INS was no longer an issue.

_Remington beamed as he held a blindfolded Laura's hand and led her into the empty room. He casually glanced over to be sure she wasn't peeking._

_"Okay, open your eyes," he said. He kissed her as he removed the blindfold. Then biting his lower lip, he watched her take in their surroundings._

_Laura opened her eyes to the most breathtaking view. They were in a house, specifically a great room with beautiful wood floors and a gorgeous stone fireplace. The room was lovely, but she couldn't take her eyes off the wall of windows. The entire back of the house was open to the Pacific Ocean through floor to ceiling picture windows. She wandered over to the gourmet kitchen, and ran her hand along the marble countertop. She looked up at her husband, who was still smiling from ear to ear._

_"What is this place?" she asked._

_"Our new home," he answered. "If you say "yes," that is."_

_"Oh," she said with a gleam in her eye. "You mean I actually get a say in the matter this time?"_

_Laura had long since forgiven his deception of letting her believe their marriage was fake, when all along it had been completely legal. However, there were times when she still liked to tease him about it. _

_Even though she loved him, and she knew that he loved her, a part of her had been afraid that it would all be over now that they had fulfilled the commitment required by the INS. So afraid in fact, that she had been putting off telling him their news. She knew she had to tell him soon, otherwise her body would betray her and he would see for himself. The fact that he wanted to buy a house pushed her fears to the back of her mind. The house seemed to be perfect, and a lovely place to raise their child._

_"It has definite possibilities, Mr. Steele," she said, walking back to where he stood. "I think we should see the rest of the place."_

_He took her hand and led her through the house. It was two stories; or rather, three as there were two large rooms on the beach level. It had four bedrooms, four bathrooms, huge closets, and the price was right. She had to admit, it was perfect…as was the timing. They wandered back to the kitchen and stood together at the window, looking out over the ocean._

_"I think we should take it, Rem," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. She kissed him with all the love she felt for him, and practically held her breath before saying her next words. "I think it's the perfect place to raise our family." She stepped back, taking his hand in hers and placing it flat against her abdomen._

_Remington's blue eyes grew wide as he looked into Laura's shimmering cinnamon ones. He felt tears well up, and swallowed the lump in his throat. His voice barely more than a whisper, he asked, "Are you… are we…" _

_Tears fell from Laura's eyes as she looked into the face of the man she loved so much. "Yes, Love," she said. "We're having a baby."_

_"When?" he asked__."How?"_

_When she laughed, he responded, "Okay, I know HOW. When? __How far along?"_

_"A couple of months," she answered. "You're going to be a Daddy in January."_

_He wanted to pinch himself. He was standing a beautiful home, holding the woman he loved more than life itself, and she was having his baby. _

Laura walked over to him, and wrapping her arms around his waist, she laid her cheek against his back. "In all these years," she told him, "you've never let anything happen to me, and WE won't let anything happen to her. Besides, with degrees in both Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, she'll probably show US a thing or two."

The sun shone brightly in the California sky as Remington and Laura Steele sat with their family, watching the Stanford University Commencement, Class of 2008.

Remington was happy for the cover of sunlight, as he might be able to hide his tears behind his designer sunglasses. He smiled. Twenty years of living with Laura and Kate had turned him into a sentimental fool. _No_, he thought, smiling. He wasn't a fool, but he had been. That was a lifetime ago, before he met Laura Holt and attempted to fill the shoes of Remington Steele.

"…Thomas Aaron Spencer, Melissa Kay Springer, Joseph Kyle Stanton, Abigail Katharine Steele…"

The Steeles and their entourage were on their feet, cheering as Kate walked across the stage to receive her sheepskin. Remington didn't care who saw the tear of joy that slid down his cheek. That was his little girl up there. He had never known such pride. She was so much like her mother. Brilliant. Strong. Feisty. Independent. Beautiful. He knew she would be an amazing investigator, but the father in him was not ready for her to be all grown up.

_Remington Steele stood quietly in the doorway. He was watching his little girl try to follow her mother as she practiced her dancing. Turning one of the lower level rooms into a dance studio for Laura had been one of his better ideas. It was a place where she could go to unwind, and she __was enjoying sharing her passion for dance with their daughter. His heart swelled as he watched them, his beautiful girls. Kate looked so much like Laura with her shimmering brown eyes and freckles, he could not imagine a more precious sight._

_"Daddy!"__ Kate squealed as she ran into her father's arms._

_"How's my little princess today?" Remington asked, scooping the little girl up in his arms. "Did you and Mummy have fun?"_

_Kate nodded her head and looked across the room at her mother. "Mommy is teaching me my ballet."_

_Laura was leaning against her ballet bar. She loved watching Remington with their little girl. He was such a good father. Of course, at only three years old, Kate had Daddy wrapped around her little finger. Laura smiled, it served him right for all the years he'd had her wrapped around his._

_Remington carried his daughter across the dance floor and embraced his wife in his other arm. Kate giggled as her parents kissed. _

Laura Steele had not expected to cry, but she did. Her heart swelled with such joy as she watched her daughter graduate from her own alma mater. Kate had worked so hard, earning two degrees in three years. She wasn't sure where her daughter got such dedication. She watched her move across the stage. She really was beautiful --- tall and lithe, like her father. She was so much like him. She had that same perpetual twinkle in her eye, and they always seemed to have their heads together. So much so that Laura had occasionally felt like an outsider to their own private world. However, that didn't happen often. Laura was so happy that she had been the one to give Remington the family he had always longed for. She thought about her life leading up to this point. She had been through so much with the man who became Remington Steele, but this beautiful, ambitious young woman was by far their greatest accomplishment.

As the ceremony ended, the graduates poured out into the crowd to join their families and friends. Kate Steele ran directly into her father's arms. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around as he had done so many times before.

Laura watched Remington and their daughter. He was right; it was hard to believe she was all grown up.

_Laura held her husband's handkerchief to her eye as he knelt down in front of their daughter._

_"You're going to have a great deal of fun at school," Remington said, kissing Kate's forehead. _

_"I know, Daddy," the little girl said with a smile, as she tugged on her tiny backpack. "School is going to be great. I'll be fine," she said, sounding much more mature than her six years. "But you should look after Mommy. I think she's taking it pretty hard."_

_Laura laughed out loud at Kate's words. 'Wise beyond her years,' she thought. She was not ready for Kate to be starting school. Where had the time gone? She laughed again when she realized that even though she wasn't ready, her baby girl was. Kate had been excited about school ever since they had taken her to orientation and she had gotten to meet her teacher and some of her classmates. _

_Kate looked away from her parents to the young blonde woman standing in front of the school. "There's Miss Larsen," she said. "I have to go."_

_Laura leaned down to hug her little girl, "Are you sure you don't want Daddy and I to go in with you?"_

_"No Mommy," she answered, "I'm a big girl now."_

_With that, she turned and marched toward the school building. Remington wrapped his arms around Laura's shoulders and she leaned into his embrace._

_"She's right, you know," he said softly._

_Laura just looked at him, trying to hold back her tears. _

_"She's going to be fine," he said, kissing her temple. _

_She knew he was right, Kate was very smart and very capable, but she was also very stubborn. She liked to be in charge, in fact sometimes she insisted on it. Of course, those were some of the reasons they had chosen to send her to private school. Malibu Academy was a small school, even though they served children from first through twelfth grades. They had an excellent gifted education program and Kate would be among her peers who were as advanced as she. Everything was as it should be, but Laura couldn't help but feel that her baby was starting to slip away, as her world expanded, she wouldn't need her Mommy… at least not as much as she always had._

"Congratulations, Princess," Remington said, kissing Kate's cheek as he set her back down on the ground.

"We're so proud of you." Her mother pulled her into an embrace.

"Way to go, Kiddo!"

Kate's smile grew wide as she caught sight of the woman who had become a surrogate grandmother over the years.

"Aunt Mildred!" she exclaimed, stepping out of Laura's embrace and throwing her arms around the older woman. "I'm so glad you made it."

"Are you kidding?" Mildred Krebs replied. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away, Honey."

The Steeles were interrupted as a bespectacled academic rushed up to them. He reached out and vigorously shook Remington's hand.

"Mr. Steele," he said almost breathlessly. "Thank god you're here.""Of course, Dean Harrigan," Remington replied. "Where else would I be on my little girl's special day?"

Laura watched this exchange with interest. The dean seemed particularly harried, and she had a feeling that at the root of it was something more than commencement.

"Mr. Steele," the dean went on. "I need to speak with you… professionally."

"Oooohh, my first official case!" Kate smiled widely, rubbing her hands together.

Immediately, Laura took control of the situation. She turned to her daughter. "Honey, you go with Aunt Mildred and Aunt Frances. Uncle Donald and Danny have already gone to your dorm with the truck. You go and help them load up your things. Daddy and I will be along as soon as we've finished with Dean Harrigan."

As the three women left, after a slight protest from Kate, Laura noticed a thin veil of relief come over the dean's face.

"Thank you, Mrs. Steele," he said and then, looking around warily, he continued. "Walk with me."

Remington Steele took his wife's hand as they walked in silence, following the dean to his office. Once inside, Harrigan offered them each a chair. When they were all seated, the dean turned to Remington.

"I have two words for you, Mr. Steele," he said, and paused before continuing, "Royal Lavulite."

Laura and Remington exchanged looks.

"I've heard that you're somewhat of an expert on the subject," the dean went on.

"Yes," Remington answered. "Both Mrs. Steele and I have an extensive knowledge of the gems."

"What does this have to do with us?" Laura asked.

"You've heard of the Star of Karos?" the dean answered her question with one of his own.

"It's the largest piece of cut Lavulite in existence," Remington stated.

"Last I heard," Laura began, "it had been acquired by a private collector."

The dean nodded. "Marshall Wingate. He's an alumnus and agreed to allow us to display the stone for a fundraiser. As you know, the Annual Alumni Gala is next weekend."

"And you want us to provide security," Remington concluded.

"Not exactly, Mr. Steele," the dean corrected, letting out a long breath. "I want you to find it."

"You lost it?" Laura said without thinking.

"I believe it's been stolen," Harrigan answered. "Normally, we wouldn't even have been in possession of the Star so early, but Wingate had to leave the country. I arranged for top security, and no one knew the stone was on campus."

"No one?" Remington asked.

The dean shook his head. "I didn't even tell my staff."

"Obviously someone knew," Laura stated. "Where were you keeping it?"

"The Art Museum," Dean Harrigan answered. "Under lock and key. With the addition of armed security guards, it is … was the safest place on campus."

Laura's wheels were turning. "We'll need a list of anyone who had access to the museum. And we'll need to get in touch with Mr. Wingate."

"No!" the dean exclaimed.

"Dean Harrigan," Remington said to him, "we need to know if he told anyone the stone was here."

"He can't know it's missing," Harrigan lamented. "We really depend on his funding."

"We understand that, Dean," Laura tried to reassure him. "We'll be discreet."


	2. Chapter 2

They decided to regroup at the hotel so they could go over the case with Danny and Mildred. Donald and Frances agreed to drive the truck full of Kate's belongings back to Los Angeles.

"Thank you, Frances," Laura said, hugging her sister. "We'll be back in town tomorrow. We've just got a few things to do here before we go back to the office."

"Thanks Donald," Remington said, shaking his brother-in-law's hand. "You're a good man."

They had enjoyed an easy camaraderie over the years, and became good friends. Remington admired and looked up to Donald in his commitment to his family, and Donald lived vicariously through Remington's adventures. They each found the other to be a great listening post, knowing how tough it could be to be in love with a Holt woman.

Remington helped Frances into the cab of the truck as Donald climbed in on the other side. As they pulled out of sight, Laura turned to her husband. "A little nighttime reconnaissance, Mr. Steele?" she asked with a grin.

Kate just rolled her eyes, she knew what that look meant. She was happy that her parents loved each other so much. Sometimes she was embarrassed by their displays of affection, but she quickly dismissed those thoughts, knowing she had a wonderful childhood… and most of her friends' parents were divorced.

_Laura and Remington cuddled up on the big leather sofa in his home theatre room, as they watched 'Casablanca.' He never tired of Bogart. Rem held his wife close as they watched the action on the big screen. He looked over at her. After more than twelve years of marriage, Laura was just as lovely as the first day he saw her. He leaned over to kiss her._

_"Gross!" their 10-year-old daughter exclaimed, as she entered the room. _

_Breaking the kiss, Remington turned to Kate and held back his laughter._

_"Finished with your homework, Honey?" Laura asked._

_"Yep!" she replied and climbed in between them on the sofa. "What are we watching?"_

_"Ah," her father answered, kissing the top of her head. "The greatest picture ever made…"_

_"'The Lion King'?"__ Kate asked._

_Laura laughed as Remington rolled his eyes. She knew he would instill his love of old cinema in her yet._

Daniel Piper walked into the newly redecorated offices of Remington Steele Investigations. Years ago, they had acquired the suite next door to expand their growing business. They now had offices for five operatives --- six actually, since Remington and Laura were now mostly sharing an office. They had a conference room, copy room, file room and even a small kitchen.

"Morning, Sharon," Danny smiled as he greeted the receptionist. He turned his attention to his favorite cousin where she sat on the corner of Sharon's desk engrossed in a file. Her parents were looking on from the doorway of their office.

"Hey Squirt!" he greeted her.

"Danny!" Kate protested as he reached to ruffle her hair. "MOM!" she yelled as Danny laughed.

"Kids!" Laura called out as her husband held back his laughter.

"I told you this was a bad idea," he whispered in her ear.

Laura was tempted, as an aunt and a mother, to step in and referee but they were both adults. Danny was almost 35 for crying out loud. There weren't any clients in the office, so she decided to let them work it out on their own.

"Danny, seriously," Kate glared at him. "You have two little sisters. Why must you always pick on me?"

"Because they're not nearly as much fun," Danny answered honestly. "Come on Kat, think about it. Mindy and LB are so much like my Mom --- which is great, but they've never been as cool as you."

Laura watched as her daughter's angry pout faded. Danny was good. In all the years they had spent working together, Remington Steele had really rubbed off on him.

"All right, all right," Kate sighed raising her hands in surrender, a gesture she had inherited from her father. "I give up. But can we at least agree to no Squirt in the office?"

"Sure thing, Kat," Danny agreed.

"Good," the young woman responded. "And it's Kate. It was Kate for eighteen years. Let's just consider this past year a momentary lapse in judgment." She winked at her father. She knew how much he had hated her adopted moniker.

"Now that we've got that settled, let's get down to business," Mildred said as she emerged from her office. Now in a state of semi-retirement, Mildred was the office manager. She still worked part-time, handling the books and lending her expertise to certain cases. "I cross checked the list of people with access to the museum with the names that came up in our past dealings with Royal Lavulite."

"Did you find anything?" Laura asked.

"Bupkis," Mildred answered. "BUT I went ahead and ran the names of the University staff, and did find something interesting. There is a new member of the faculty in the Marine Biology department. Todd Doke, PhD."

"He's the guy who helped his father steal the Royal Lavulite gems when you guys were transporting them," Danny said.

Laura was impressed by her nephew's knowledge of their past cases. He couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve at that time. "How did you know that?" she asked.

"Case files," Danny answered. "I've been reading over your old case files in our downtime. You two have put so many people away over the years, I thought it would be a good idea to know what we might run up against."

"I'm impressed, Daniel," Remington said.

"You should be," Laura looked over at him.

They both knew she was thinking back to the time they almost lost the agency. The Board of Investigative Licensing had questioned him about cases that the agency had taken before he had assumed the mantle of Remington Steele. When he left Mildred to clear up the inconsistencies the Board had found in cases from before she joined the agency, they pulled RSI's license. To be fair, it turned out they had been set up, but if Remington had been as interested in the agency's past cases as Danny had been… but that was long ago and Remington had managed to regain the license.

"Earth to Mom," Kate said, trying to get her mother's attention.

Laura shook her head, bringing herself back to the present.

"Hmm? What?" she asked.

"Where'd you go?" Kate asked.

"Nowhere, Honey," Laura answered.

"You were a million miles away," Kate persisted.

"More like 23 years in the past," Remington said, stepping up to wrap his arms around Laura's waist. "Perhaps we should get back to the case at hand."

"Right Chief," Mildred responded. "Todd Doke is now on the faculty at Stanford."

"How could that happen?" Laura asked. "I know he only spent a short amount of time in jail after that fiasco with the Lavulite. But certainly the University has some policy about hiring ex-cons to work with students."

"It seemed like his hiring was kind of sudden," Mildred supplied.

"Keep digging, Mildred," Laura said. "We need all the details we can get on Dr. Doke's hiring. And keep working on anyone who might have a connection to the Royal Lavulite, specifically the Star of Karos."

"I'm on it," Mildred said, disappearing into her office.

"Danny, you try to track down Marshall Wingate," Laura said, and then turned to her partner. "We're going back to Palo Alto. We need to have another chat with the dean."

"What about me?" Kate asked.

"You're with us," Laura answered.

"Cool," Kate said. Smiling she looked up at her father, who gave her a wink.

Remington and Laura returned from their meeting with Dean Harrigan to find Kate in their suite, impatiently waiting for them. She had put her time alone to good use and had plenty to tell them.

Remington smiled as he watched their daughter. She was taking this case very seriously, and her intensity reminded him of Laura. One of the things he had always loved about his bride was her tenacity. It seemed that their daughter had inherited that trait. But then again, he supposed he had always known that.

_"Daddy, I know I'm just a kid," Kate said seriously, as she paced her father's office. "But I've practically grown up in this office, and I've picked up a lot from you and Mom. I read the report on the Stephens case and I think you guys are missing something."_

_"Oh you do, do you?" Remington said, smiling. _

_His little girl, barely fifteen years old, was getting ready to start her senior year of high school. She had already expressed an interest in the family business, and Laura had encouraged her by letting her spend her free time in the office and going over cases. She'd even let her tag along when doing legwork. He wanted to hear what she had to say. Even at her tender age, Kate showed as much promise and much more intuition for the work than he had when he came aboard. 'I guess that's what happens when your child is a genius,' he thought, grinning with pride._

_"I can't put my finger on it," she went on. "But something is nagging at me. Give me time, I'll figure it out."_

_She was so much like her mother._

"Okay," Kate read from her notes as she paced the sitting room. "Dr. Doke is teaching summer session. I checked the class schedule, and the best time to get into his office is between two and four o'clock. He'll be tied up with students the whole time. Danny called, he has arranged for the two of you to meet with Mr. Wingate, but you're going to have to go down to San Francisco. He's having dinner at the Bay Club and he's agreed to meet you for drinks at ten."

Remington looked at his watch. "We don't have much time to check out our old friend Dr. Doke. We'd better be heading over to the campus."

As the Steeles were walking toward the Marine Science Center, Dean Harrigan approached them.

"Steele," he said, "May I have a word with you?"

Remington glanced at his watch. They did not have much time, but Harrigan looked agitated. He told Laura and Kate to go on ahead. They could search Doke's office without him. He would catch up when he was finished with Harrigan.

"Listen," the dean said as he looked at Remington with pleading eyes. "I was quite concerned to find out that you had arranged a meeting with Marshall Wingate. It is imperative that you not let on to him that the gem is missing."

"Don't worry, mate," Steele again tried to reassure him. "We're professionals. Believe it or not, we know what we're doing."

Harrigan let out a long breath. He wasn't sure how to approach what he thought to be a delicate situation. "It's not you that I'm worried about, Mr. Steele…" he began.

Remington held his tongue; he had long ago stopped accepting accolades for his wife's years of hard work. Laura was the lead investigator and he often let people know it. However, before he could expound on the former Miss Holt's investigative expertise, Harrigan continued.

"…it's Kate."

"Kate?" Remington wasn't expecting that one.

"Well," the dean said sheepishly. "She's a lovely girl and very smart, but… but… well, she's a little green…"

"I assure you, sir," Remington began to speak. He was incredulous. "We at the Steele agency would never place an operative in any situation for which he or she wasn't ready. Katharine is an excellent Forensic Criminologist--- thanks, in part, to your fine institution. She however, will not be attending the meeting with Mr. Wingate. Good day, Dean."

Remington Steele left, dubious at the dean's suggestion that Kate could somehow hamper their investigation.

Laura looked around as they approached Todd Doke's office, making sure they were not seen. There was no one around, except for her husband who was cautiously approaching them. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she reached for her lock pick set. Before she could snap the case open, Kate had opened the door. Shocked, she glared at her daughter.

"What?" Kate asked, her face the picture of wide-eyed innocence. "Daddy taught me when I was five."

Laura moved her glare to her husband, who just shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin. The three of them searched every inch of Doke's office, but found nothing to connect him to the gem.

Kate let out a long wolf whistle. "Man, Daddy you look hot!"

"I've always loved the sight of your father in a tuxedo," Laura said, agreeing with her daughter's assessment as she wrapped her arms around Remington's waist. "So dashing."

"But nothing compared to your mother," Remington replied, taking in the sight of his wife in a dark blue beaded gown. Laura was so beautiful. The years hadn't changed her; her warm cinnamon brown eyes still sparkled. She had gone back to wearing her hair in manner very similar to the way she wore it when they first met. Though she had matured, she was as lovely as ever. She still took his breath away. He took her in his arms.

Kate rolled her eyes. For an old couple, her parents never seemed to get enough of each other. She knew that they were so caught up in each other that they had forgotten she was in the room. She gracefully backed out and closed the door, heading through the sitting room to the other side of the suite and her room.

"So, Mr. Steele," Laura said softly, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes. "Were you able to get our favorite table at Marty's?"

"But of course, my dear," he said, kissing her soundly. "God I love this city! Reminds me of the old days."

"Remember when you lured me up here under the pretense of a case?" she asked before kissing him again.

"Trying to get a little alone time, as I recall," he replied.

"Only to find our very lives in jeopardy…," she continued, as he held her in his arms.

"…Again," he finished her thought. "Nevertheless, it was all worth it, Laura. I even look back fondly on all those years you had me chasing after you like a love starved puppy."

"You do?" she asked softly. She relished times like these, the quiet romantic ones. She loved the man who called himself Remington Steele. He was romantic and she knew that he loved her, but after more than 20 years of running a home and a business together there were times when everything seemed so mundane, routine --- and they could bicker with the best of them.

"Of course I do," he answered. "Laura, I knew I wanted you from the moment I met you. However, if you hadn't made me wait, I may never have learned to appreciate the most significant relationship of my life. I'm a lucky man, my love."

Laura smiled. "C'mon Casanova," she said. "We're going to miss our reservation."

Mr. and Mrs. Steele spent a relaxing evening, laughing and talking over dinner. Laura checked her watch and realized that they had to be going soon if they were going to make their meeting with Marshall Wingate on time. Then it dawned on her.

"Wingate!" she exclaimed.

"Let him wait," Remington told her as he poured another glass of champagne.

"No," Laura went on, "HOW are we meeting with him.""Darling, are you feeling all right?" he asked. "Danny set it up, remember?"

"No, no, I know that," she said, holding up her hand. "But HOW? Isn't Wingate supposed to be out of the country?"

He loved to watch her when she hit 'digging her heels in' mode. When she was on to something, Laura was a joy to watch. She still got that gleam in her eye after all these years.

"Harrigan told us that the reason he had the stone was that Wingate was going to be out of the country," Laura went on. "If he is here, four days before the gala--- why did he let the school take the stone last week?"

"Mr. Wingate," Laura said to the elderly man who sat across from them. "We were so thrilled to learn you had leant the Star of Karos to be displayed at the Stanford Alumni gala. Royal Lavulite is very special to us. My husband is…well, you might say he's an enthusiast."

"That's all well and good, Mrs. Steele," Wingate replied, staring at Laura over his bourbon glass. "But why are we here?"

"We were just wondering if you told anyone about the stone being on loan to the University," Remington queried.

"Now, why in the hell would I do that?" Wingate responded. "I didn't even know about the gala until Wendy told me last week."

"Wendy?" Remington asked.

"My wife," Wingate answered. "She's the one that's really involved with the University. She spends all her time and most of my money down there--- giving back, she calls it."

"So sorry to have troubled you," Laura said, standing up from the table. "You must be tired from your trip. We'll let you go.""Tired from driving in from Marin?" Wingate asked.

"No, I thought you…"

"Come along, Darling," Remington said, standing to join his wife. "Let's let Mr. Wingate enjoy his nightcap."

Once in the car, Laura took out her cell phone.

"Danny, I need you to check out Marshall Wingate's whereabouts and travel plans for the past two weeks…"

After she hung up with her nephew, she called the hotel to tell Kate to find out everything she could about Marshall Wingate. She hung up the phone as they pulled up to the valet stand. Remington got out and walked around the car to escort Laura inside.

"All those assignments, Mrs. Steele," he said, taking her hand. "Do you have a job for me?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"You'd better believe it, Mr. Steele," she answered with a twinkle of her own.


	3. Chapter 3

Remington Steele awakened with a start. He was not sure if it was because of the ringing telephone or the pounding on the door. He looked over at the woman sleeping next to him. It still amazed him what she could sleep through. He reached across her to answer the phone, calling out to the pounding door in the process.

"Cool it, Kate!" he called through clenched teeth. "You're going to wake up your mother." He turned his attention back to the phone.

"Steele, here," he said.

"Aunt Laura's still sleeping?" Danny asked from the other end of the line. "It's after nine, are we working or what?"

"Long night, son," Remington said with a smile.

Laura began to stir and when she was awake, he pointed her to the bedroom door.

"What have you got for us, Dan?" he asked.

Laura got up and pulled on her robe. She glanced over to make sure her husband had done the same. She opened the door to her scowling daughter.

"What took you so long?" Kate asked pushing her way into the room, laptop in hand. "You're not gonna believe what I found. Our Mrs. Wingate is quite the philanthropist. The Wingates have been the University's primary benefactors for quite some time. But the big news is that Mrs. Wingate was instrumental in, you might even say responsible for, the University's hiring Dr. Doke. She threatened to pull her funding if they didn't hire him."

Before Laura could process what she had just heard, her husband hung up the phone.

"That was Daniel," he told them. "It seems Wingate never left the country. He's been in Marin County the whole time."

Remington listened while Kate reiterated her information.

"Sounds like it's time to visit with Mrs. Wingate," he deduced.

"Let me do it," Kate offered as her parents exchanged looks. "Seriously," she went on. "It makes sense. She's the school's benefactor and I'm a very recent graduate. More importantly, I'm NOT a famous detective who just met with her husband."

"She makes a good point," Laura said, turning to Remington.

"She's making a habit of it," he replied, winking at his daughter.

He was as proud of her as he could be, and although he had had his reservations, he was looking forward to Kate's first case. As Laura had already pointed out, he knew she would be brilliant… she WAS their daughter, after all.

_Remington and Laura held hands, they sat next to each other at the table on the deck. Remington looked out over the ocean as Laura began their story. Kate would be leaving for college in a few months, and they knew that it was past time that their daughter new the truth._

_"It all started the day a man named Ben Pearson walked into the office," Laura said. Smiling, she looked over at her husband. He was more than a little uncomfortable. She knew he was worried about how Kate would take the news. She had always adored her father, and he was afraid that would change. Laura knew there wasn't a chance of that happening. She knew her daughter. Kate loved him almost as much as she did and knowing the truth could not change that. Like her mother, when this was all said and done, Kate would love Remington even more._

_"He was the most attractive man I'd ever seen…" Laura continued, "…the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. He had blue eyes you could get lost in, and that accent," she said with a sigh. "He took my breath away."_

_Kate knew her mother was talking about her father, but who was this Ben Pearson? She also noticed her father was staring out over the ocean; it was as if he didn't want to meet her eyes._

_"Mr. Pearson had come about some gems that Uncle Murphy and I had been hired to protect," Laura went on. "He said he worked for the South African government and he was there to retrieve the gems, which he claimed had been stolen, and return them to his government. This wasn't entirely true. Ben Pearson was a Special Agent with the South African government, but the man in my office was not Ben Pearson. He was however, there for the gems. He intended to steal, uh, retrieve them himself and return them to the South African government, for a finder's fee…"_

_Kate again looked at her father, he had always been very big on finder's fees. She remembered an argument she had once overheard where her father was suggesting the agency go into the retrieval business and her mother would hear nothing of it. She so was busy putting the pieces together, she was only half listening as her mother continued to tell her story._

_"… and that's how he became Remington Steele."_

_Became Remington Steele? Kate thought. "What do you mean, Mom? How could he become Remington Steele?"_

_"Well Honey," Laura answered, "It actually started several years earlier. You see, I'd always loved excitement…"_

"Mrs. Wingate," Kate said, approaching the woman in front of the Administration Building. "Thank you so much for agreeing to see me."

Wendy Wingate was tall and blonde, and if she judged correctly, not much older than Kate herself.

"Of course," she answered. "Anything for a fellow alum."

Kate smiled. "Alum, wow. That sounds so strange. I graduated less than a week ago."

"Time flies," Wendy said, and then placed her hand on her chest. "Class of 2003, my husband was in the graduating class of 1956."

Kate tried to hide her shock. Her parents never told her that Marshall Wingate was geriatric.

"It's okay," Wendy told her. "Everyone reacts that way. I met him at the Alumni gala the year after I graduated. It was love at first sight." Kate thought she sounded sincere.

"Will you be attending this year's gala?" Wendy asked.

"Oh…I…" Kate sputtered. "I hadn't really thought about it. My parents will be there, though.""Your parents?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah, my Mom is class of 1978."

"Oh, so you're a legacy," Wendy said, beaming. "That's great!"

Laura and Remington watched from across the quad. Kate seemed to be handling her own. In addition, based on Wendy Wingate's age, Laura thought that she probably related better with Kate than she would have with either of them. Then she glanced at her husband. _Maybe not_, she thought. Women of all ages were always throwing themselves at Remington, though she couldn't blame them. He had always been handsome, but time had been very kind to him. Too kind.

Kate Steele and Wendy Wingate walked around the quad until they ended up back in front of the Admin Building. Kate thanked Wendy for her generous support of the school, her purported reason for the meeting, and Wendy encouraged Kate to attend the gala and get involved in some of the Alumni organizations. Kate told Wendy that her mother was already encouraging her to join the Alumni Glee Club. The women exchanged air kisses and a brief hug after Wendy had declared them "fast friends." Kate headed off toward the parking lot and Wendy into the Administration building, where Laura Steele followed her.

Laura waited down the hall as Wendy entered Andrew Harrigan's office. She then advanced to the office herself, and peeked in the window. Much to her surprise, Laura saw the dean and Mrs. Wingate locked in a passionate embrace.

Arriving back at the hotel, Laura and Kate immediately went to work on their laptops. Laura phoned Danny and Mildred to have them dig deeper on both Mrs. Wingate and Dean Harrigan.

Laura and Kate worked in companionable silence, the only sound in the room the clicking of their keyboards. This went on for quite some time, as they were each engrossed in their own research, until Kate broke the silence.

"I got it!" she exclaimed. "Oh Mom, you are not going to believe this!"

"What is it?" Laura asked.

"In the spring of 2001, Andrew Harrigan who was then a tenured professor of Humanities," Kate began, "was censured for having an affair with a student."

"How can that be possible?" Laura asked, standing to look over Kate's shoulder at her laptop screen. "If that were the case, he could never have been made Dean."

"Exactly," Kate answered. "The incident was expunged from his record four years ago. You know he only became Dean the semester I started at Stanford."

"Where did you find this?"

"Ahhh..." Kate said with a grin. "You've got to love the Internet. This Dirty Deeds website is kind of folklore around campus. Everyone knows about it, but officially, it doesn't exist. There are all kinds of anonymous blogs. But there are some with names, too. Anything here can be checked out. I figured it was a good place to start."

"Excellent work, Kate," Laura looked at her daughter with pride.

"But wait," Kate told her. "You haven't even heard the best part. The student Professor Harrigan had an affair with… her name was Gwendolyn Mason."

"Wendy," Laura acknowledged.

"Right," Kate agreed. "And since his record was expunged shortly after she married Marshall Wingate, she probably used his money and connections to get it done."

"You're pretty good at this," Laura said with a smile. "Ever thought about being a detective?"

With Laura and Kate back at the hotel researching their latest discovery, Remington went to have a chat with Dr. Doke. He went to the Marine Science Center and knocked on the door to Doke's office.

"Come in," was the call from the other side.

Remington entered the office and Todd Doke looked up from his desk.

"Steele," he said coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"That's exactly what I've come to ask you, mate," Remington responded.

"Working. So if you don't mind…"

"Ah, but I do," Remington countered his sarcasm with a little of his own. "You see, I came up here last week to witness my daughter receive her degrees. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you to have joined the faculty. Funny, but I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea that my daughter has been sharing a campus with a man who tried to kill me."

"Look Steele," Doke said with a sigh. "That was a lifetime ago. I have long since paid for my mistakes. You know that Clarissa Custer was the one behind that whole mess."

"I do indeed, Doctor," Remington replied. "But it was your ingenuity that nearly ruined my agency's reputation, and it was your gun in my living room that night. However, you're right, that was a lifetime ago. Remington Steele Investigations is as strong as ever and my wife and I both quite well. My question is how can someone with your… track record… be working with students at one of this country's leading educational institutions?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he answered honestly. "I was in Georgia working on the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary for the Marine Conservation Biology Institute. I've been very happy with my small boat and my small crew out on the reef."

"Go on."

"I got a call a couple of months ago with a job offer here at Stanford," Doke answered. "They were offering an obscene amount of money, more than I ever made at UCLA and a hell of a lot more than I'd ever make at the Conservancy."

"So you jumped at the chance to come home to California," Remington surmised.

"Not exactly," he answered. "Like I said, I liked my life. Nevertheless, they were pretty insistent. I really didn't have much choice. Mr. Steele," he said as his tone softened. "I know what happened all those years ago was terrible. But I'm not a bad person. At first, I just wanted to help my father. Then, after losing him…I guess something in me snapped. I was wrong and I know that. I paid my debt to society, and I owe you and your wife my sincerest apology. I enjoyed working on the Conservancy, but I love teaching. When Stanford is insisting on hiring you, with an incredible salary plus tenure, you don't say no, or question their reasons."

Remington accepted that Todd Doke was telling the truth. He said his goodbye and left to join his wife and daughter back at the hotel.

After comparing notes Remington, Laura and Kate Steele were sure they had their culprit. Now they had to prove it. They sat down to devise a plan. Kate just watched her parents in awe as the case unraveled before her eyes. She had always been proud of them; they were her parents…her heroes. Now she was beginning to realize that they really were as good as everyone said they were. They knew each other so well, and had worked together so long that sometimes they slipped into their own private shorthand. Watching her parents work was an education as valuable as the years she had spent at Stanford.

_Once again, Laura Steele stood with her husband's handkerchief in her hand. This time, she had not had to use it…at least not yet. They were standing in their daughter's dorm room, preparing to leave her alone. She knew Kate could handle herself. Remington had been hesitant about letting her go away from home at such a young age, but Kate was ready. She had worked hard __to be able to enter college early, not only had she graduated at the top of her class, but she had been admitted to Stanford University at sixteen. She was a wonder, their little girl._

_"Come on, Mom," Kate said with a laugh. "No blubbering. This is almost as bad as the first time you took me to the Academy. I was fine then, and I'll be fine now."_

_"I know," Laura answered, taking her daughter into her arms. "I'm just so proud of you," she said softly, "and I'm going to miss you so much."_

_"Mom, it's not like I'm on the moon," Kate said with a roll of her eyes. "It's only a seven hour drive," she reasoned, smiling. "The way you drive, you could make it in five," she said with a laugh. "And it's only a little over an hour by plane. I'll call every week."_

_"Every day," Laura corrected as her husband pulled her close._

_"How about twice a week?"__ Kate offered, as Laura pulled her into her embrace._

_"Okay," she agreed. "I can live with that. You're going to do great."_

_"Thanks, Mom." _

"Laura," Remington looked at his wife. "Do you remember _The Five Nudes of Cairo?"_

"Are you kidding?" she said, "How could I forget?"

"Where is the safest place to hide a stolen piece of art before transporting it?"

"Of course," Laura said, smiling. "The museum. And it makes perfect sense. Either Wendy or the dean could come and go without question."

"But why bring you in on it?" Kate asked.

"To keep suspicion off them," Laura answered.

"Precisely," Remington replied. "We've got to get into that museum."

"It will be dark soon," Laura stated.

"Yes!" Kate exclaimed, and Remington smiled at her youthful enthusiasm.

He had always thought she was more like Laura than she was like him, but her excitement at the idea of breaking into the museum made him wonder. Then again, Laura did enjoy a good heist. His smile broadened and the blue of his eyes deepened as he thought of the affect tonight's work may have on his wife. Though they weren't actually "purloining" the gem itself...it was still close enough. He softly sang to himself "You, the night and the music..."

After gaining entry to the museum, the Steeles quietly looked around the vault room.

"How can you be so sure they'll show up tonight?" Kate asked.

"Because the gala is tomorrow," her father answered.

"And they'll want to be gone without a trace by then," her mother added.

Their timing was perfect, as it didn't take long before the entrance of both Harrigan and Wendy Wingate rewarded them. From their vantage point, they could see everything that went on, and Laura turned on the digital video recorder, with infrared night vision. Though she still preferred good old-fashioned ingenuity and legwork to get the job done, Laura had to admit that technology had its advantages.

"Wendy, are you sure this is going to work?" Harrigan asked, with more than a little hesitation in his voice.

"Of course it is, Andy," Wendy said, giving him a confident wink. She set about retrieving the stone from its hiding place. She held it up to her flashlight. "I saw Remington Steele down at the Marine Center this afternoon. They took the bait… hook, line and sinker. You just keep playing the part of the frazzled dean, I'll take the stone to the dealer we found in France..." she said as she reached out to kiss him passionately "…And then we can finally be together," she said before adding with a soft laugh, "and rich beyond our wildest dreams."

They were so caught up in themselves that they did not notice the approaching detectives.

"I don't think so, Mrs. Wingate."

Wendy, startled by the sound of Remington's voice, almost dropped the stone as she turned to run. She didn't make two steps before Kate grabbed her. The two young women fell to the ground and Kate held Wendy down as she took the stone from her hand. She handed it to Laura while Remington subdued Andrew Harrigan.

"Not a bad night's work, girls," Remington winked at his wife and daughter.

"We make a pretty good team, eh Dad?"

Laura nodded in agreement, "We sure do, Honey… all of us."

Remington and Laura Steele danced around the floor of the 2008 Stanford Alumni Gala. They twirled around the display of the Star of Karos, which was set in the center of the room, proud of the fact that they had recovered it and secured that it would be on display tonight. It had taken some doing, but with the help of Wingate's attorney and Vigilance Insurance, the Steeles had convinced the police that keeping a gem of such value in an evidence locker was not in the police department's best interests. After writing their reports and assuring they would have further access to the gem as needed, the police had returned the Star of Karos to Marshall Wingate. Wingate had agreed to let it be displayed as the Stanford Alumni celebrated the class of 2008.

Remington held Laura close as they quietly celebrated their own contribution to the class of '08. Their beautiful little girl had proven herself a worthy investigator as she had helped them solve her first official case, one full of tricks and turns. They left the dance floor and joined Kate, Danny and Mildred at their table, where Laura began to explain the details of the case.

"It turned out that though she was in love with Andrew Harrigan, Wendy couldn't bear the thought of life on a professor's salary. Thinking she could _marry up_ and still stick close to Harrigan by getting close to a Stanford benefactor," Laura said.

"Enter Marshall Wingate," Remington picked up the story. "Wendy had agreed to a very tight prenuptial agreement thinking that she could outlive Wingate and end up with everything."

"The problem was," Laura continued, "she found out that Marshall had all but excluded her from his will. With the prenup and the way he'd managed to divert his assets, she would inherit very little."

"So she came up with the plan to steal the Star of Karos," Kate chimed in.

"But where does Todd Doke fit in to all of this?" Mildred asked.

"The same place we do, I'm afraid," Laura answered. "Wendy made sure that Harrigan hired Dr. Doke so that he would be on campus when the Star went missing."

"Then she had Harrigan come to us," Remington added. "Because she knew we'd remember his connection to the Royal Lavulite."

"Now, I really don't get that," Mildred said. "Weren't they running a big risk by bringing you in? You could have easily found them out and exposed their scheme before they got away with the gem… in fact, you did."

"You're right Aunt Mildred," Kate answered. "But they didn't count on Remington Steele Investigations living up to its hype. Wendy assumed Mom and Dad would be so focused on Dr. Doke that she could slip away with the stone right under their noses."

"And she also didn't count on us having our newest operative on the case,"Laura added, beaming with pride. "Without Kate, we might still be out there looking," she said seriously, as Remington stepped up and wrapped his arms around her waist. Laura knew she wasn't nearly as technically savvy as her daughter...refusing for YEARS to put the agency's files on backup discs.She probablywould have found The Dirty Deeds site, but maybe not before Wendy and Harrigan had taken the Star of Karos to Europe. Kate was really proving herself, and Laura was very proud.

Danny watched with interest as the Steeles volleyed the story back and forth. This was always one of his favorite parts of the case. Remington and Laura worked so well together---in life and in business. He hoped that he too, would find his perfect partner someday.

"What about Harrigan, Uncle Rem?" he asked.

"That's easy," Kate answered. "He was going to wait until things had died down and Wendy had gotten a chance to fence the stone. Then he was going to join her in Europe."

"That stone must be worth a fortune," Mildred said.

"Over one hundred million," Remington said, trying not to wince.

"That's a lotta clams," Mildred replied.

"And thanks to Kate, they didn't get their hands on any of them," Laura said with pride.

"They'll be the guests of the California penal system for a very long time," Remington said.

"And Mr. Wingate got his gem back," Kate added. "You should have seen him at the jail. He wouldn't even speak to Wendy. I think it's safe to say a quiet divorce is on the horizon."

"Here's to a job well done," Mildred said, raising her glass.

"To Remington Steele Investigations," Kate added, joining the toast.

"The next generation," Remington finished.

They all clinked glasses and took a sip as Remington Steele pulled his wife in for a kiss.

The End


End file.
